Army – Your Time Is Running Out Speight

SUVA: Tensions are
rising after the Fijian army gave coup leader George Speight
until 3 pm today to lay down his weapons and surrender his
hostages.

The army suspended talks with Mr. Speight
yesterday after both sides once again failed to find a way
to resolve the hostage situation.

The negotiations broke
down when army head Commodore Frank Bainimarama reportedly
refused to accept Speight’s call to allow the Great Council
of Chiefs to decide on a future government for the
country.

Some chiefs in the Great Council support Mr.
Speight and his men who would possibly be given positions in
the new administration.

Meanwhile, Mr. Speight has
threatened to shoot his 31 hostages if the military launches
an offence against him.

REBEL leader and Suva
businessman George Speight has threatened to shoot the 31
hostages in parliament if the Fiji Military Forces launches
a military offensive against them.

But army commander
Commodore Frank Bainimarama said yesterday that the military
has not even considered this option. At a press conference
late yesterday, Mr Speight expressed his disappointment over
the army's decision to suspend talks with his group.

He
said the decision was a reflection of Commodore
Bainimarama's lack of committment to see an end to the
country's political crisis. The army chief announced
yesterday that he has suspended talks with Mr Speight's
group until the hostages were released and all firearms
returned to the army camp.

Commodore Bainimarama said, no
"constructive dialogue will be held at the point of a gun or
under duress because of the hostages". Mr Speight insisted
that they will hold the hostages until the army handed the
reins of government to the Great Council of Chiefs. "Our
next move is we will remain here," Mr Speight said. "I am
not in a corner, he (Bainimarama) is in a corner. "I will
wait here for as long as I have to." However, he also
assured the public that he would ensure the safety of the
hostages.

Meanwhile, Commodore Bainimarama said he was
concerned with "the wrong impression the public had of his
assuming executive authority and the role of the military
during the crisis". He said that the military assumed
control of the army to "pre-empt any bloodshed" as the FMF
was "an unbiased bystander." "What is now being perceived is
that it is us against them (George Speight's group),"
Commodore Bainimarama said. He said the army wanted
stability for the country.

"The militrary contended that
the intention of the hostage takers had been fulfilled
through the repeal of the 1997 Constitution and the
removalof Ratu Sir Kamisese Mara as President and offer
immunity for the original seven who had carried out the
capture of parliament," the statement said.

"If they are
not satisfied than perhaps we should ask them about other
motives they may have, resulting on the on going crisis." In
another statement, Commodore Bainimarama said he was a
relunctant head of the military government. "We don't want
to lead. "I don't want to
lead."

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